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Room Treatments, When are they required?

Hey Audiogoners!!!

I threw my first BBq in my new home this weekend. One of my guests who is also into audio gear came and we ended up talking a bit about audio gear.

My livingroom where the audiogear will be has 15ft vaulted ceilings, hardwood floors, and opens up to the dining room and kitchen. All pretty much in one real big l-shaped room.

I was telling him about my future upgrqade plans, which are nothing too extraordary, im thinking of some Parasound Amps and some Vandersteen 2CEs or 3As. It iwll be run 100% seperate from my HT system, but in the same room.

Anyways, he told me that it was a waste of money and there is no point in upgrading what i have unless i have a Dedicated listening room.

Personally, i think the accoustics in my livingroom are fantastic. Yes, some echo busters along the back wall or something might help out, but sound there is rich and full of live. Snap your fingers you get a nice clean SNAP, it doesent echo or linger any longer than it should. I have 3 very plush couches that do wonders for echo absorption.

When did everyone else start getting into room treatments and dedicated listening rooms?

Personally, i disagree with him, vandersteen 2ce's powered by some Parasound Amps will sound better than some radioshack speakers powered by a Denon 3505. No doubt about it in my mind. I dont care if it is installed in a dedicated room or a subway tunnel. it will sound better and i plan to upgrade.

When do YOU feel it is time to work on the room instead of the system?
Is there a certain price tag on the system that you feel is useless to upgrade further without having a dedicate room or room treatments?

Just curious.

Oh yeah, HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!
Woulda got that out earlier if i had been sober in the past few days.
slappy

Showing 4 responses by nrchy

nrchy's avatar
nrchy
2,124 posts
 
I used a TACT analizer a couple of weeks ago and found that my room wasn't as good as I thought it was. Just because you like the sound of your system doesn't mean it is accurate, or flat (if flat is even a priority).

I agree that the room is just another componant. The nice thing is it usually costs a lot less to fix the room than it does to buy new gear. If the room was good with the old gear it should be even better with the new stuff.

My opinion FWIW about HiFi shows is that they are useless for auditioning gear because 11 times out of 10 the rooms suck, or at least don't resemble your room at all. How often have you heard people say "I heard 'company A' (which is obscenely expensive) at CES and their gear sounded like excrement." What company that builds good gear is going to spend lots of money to advertise gear that is not up to snuff? It's not the gear, more often than not (again 11 times out of 10) it is because the room does not lend itself to being used for the purpose expected of it.

Room treatments are invaluable. I think it is impossible to get good sound out of a room that is not treated! Ask Albert or Slipknot what they thought of the before and after listening. Alberts room is beautiful and done so well that the treatments are nearly invisible. The stuff does not have to be intrusive to work.

Alright, I'm going to take a breathe after this long-winded rant!
nrchy's avatar
nrchy
2,124 posts
 
I don't think a good system will sound like a good system anywhere. A good system will not overcome a bad room anymore than good speakers will overcome lamp cord for speaker wire, or MP3 as a source.

I have heard good electronics in a room for which they were not suited, and they did not sound good. I would not have traded my own gear for this (supposedly) better gear.

No system will sound better than its weakest link, too often that is the room.

Just because a room is designed to be heard in a specific place within hte room (sweet spot) doesn't mean it will not sound good throughout the house. My listening room is in the basement, but I often have music playing to be enjoyed in other rooms, or for background while guests are visiting. The two are not mutually exclusive.
nrchy's avatar
nrchy
2,124 posts
 
Slappy, a good system is the one you spent your hard-earned money on and decided after weighing the options that you wanted to buy. How's that for a deflection.

I will contend that a good system will not sound good in a bad room. It is possible for a system to sound good in an untreated room just like it is possible for you to get the best parking space at Goodwill the next time you a re shopping for new gear : ). It is just a coincidence that a system sometimes works in a room without any treatment, but the majority of systems, mine included need help with the room.

Why handicap a system capable of excellent sound? Put it in the best environment you can justify!
nrchy's avatar
nrchy
2,124 posts
 
I was wondering what that smell was!

I was also wondering what you think is a dedicated listening room? This is not a room that is only the stereo room. It can be multifunctional (how do you like that word), the thing is it is designed to sound better than a non-dedicated.

You can still have the bar (I mean the burrito bar) along with comfortable furniture and all your Picasso originals.

A listening room has the gear convieniently located, with the speakers properly placed, and a few (hopefully) inconspicuously placed room treatments. How can you rebel against that? It's like your mother said when all the food you liked was gone from the plate and only the steaming pile of asparagus remained, "It's for your own good!" Just do it and quit your whining! And go to your room!
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